The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-20
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

"A Birmingham gun firm, in order
to obviate the difficulty in sighting
guns in the dark, have introduced
small diamonds in both sights.
DIR. G. I. Jackson. in paper or
badness, read before the New York
County Medical Society, states that one
of the causes is the effect of working
under hot artificial light, such as ga!
or kerosene.
"A new carbon mineral, apparently
consisting of pure carbon like the dia
mond. but black, has been discovered
in meteoric iron from Western Aus
tralia. 1t resembles the diamond ii
the form of it. crystals. but is more like
graphite in other respects. 1t is to bt
called Ciiftonite.-N. 7. Ledger.
AT least 10, 900 preserved humming
birds are now embraced in the cOllec
ton in the British Museum. The fines
collection on this side of the Atlantic
containing about 1900 specimens, ha:
been presented by Mr.. d. G. Elliott tc
the American Museum of Natural His
tory in New York Boston Budget.
"A solution Of bromine has proved
unexpectedly useful as deodOrizinG
agent in street excavations, from which
noxious smell emanates. Whether i
is a true disinfectant, or merely {
means of suppressing unpleasant odors
is a question as to which sanitary
authorities differ.
Steel wire mats are new article
in metallurgical industry. They arr
made from steel wire, with steel frame
and steel braces, all perfectly galvan
lied, and are wear and weather proof
are self cleaning. require no shaking
and by the slightest scrape snow, ice
mud, clay and water are wiped out o.
sight. --BOst0n Budget.
One of the greatest sights on
Chesapeake bay is the watermelon fleet,
which comprises about eighty vessels.
The season opens about the first week
in August. and for nearly two months
the bay is filled with these boats loaded
down with melons. They carry from
two to eight thousand melons each, and
give employment to several hundred
men.
According to the BOletin ComerciGt
of Havana, there will be 125 sugar
plantations which, either from having
been abandoned or for other reasons,
will not grind this season. Calculating
an average of 1900 hogsheads of sugar
to each plantation, this represents no.
900 tons less in the total production of
Cuban sugar this year.
Out of 100000 tons of steel and
iron manufactured annually at the
Krupp works the greater portion is re-
quired for peaceful purposes; especially
for railway plant and material From
a report Published in 1881 it appears
that the number of workmen employed
in the cast-steel works amounts to H.
211, and those employed in mines and
and FORCES to 1894, being a total of
1865. To these we may reckon the
families of the employees, numbering
1916, thus showing that 65,3Sl per-
sons were at that time dependent on
the Krupp establishment for a liveli-
hood.
An Irishman, Mr.. Francis Hazlett,
has invented, and an Irish company
have bought out, a mechanical appar-
atus for blowing glass bottles which
dispenscS with the old-fashioned meth
od of blowing glass BY the mouth. The
new invention dispenses entirely with
the human lungs, and injects the air
into molten glass by an air-pump not
unlike an ordinary syringe in shape
and action. This is fastened to the or
binary blow-pipe and makes little diff
ference to the workman in handling
Public Opinion.